Michelle Steel had an article in a local newspaper in which she argues that the COVID- 19 monitoring system needs to allow for local control.
We tried that approach once and failed dismally, Ms. Steel being one of the members of local government who demonstrated just how fickle local control of a pandemic can be. Who can forget that meeting of the Supervisors where Steel and others sympathized with irrational anti-maskers? Or that summer weekend that some local beach city governments refused to follow state directives to close their beaches, some even going so far as to sue the representatives of state government?
And how about the local businessmen and Council Member who pleaded with the Governor to re-open businesses at the very beginning of the pandemic?
Finally, we have the most recent appeal by Supervisor Wagner asking President Trump to bypass Sacramento and give COVID money directly to local governments. Even the President it seems ignored Supervisor Wagner.
Supervisor Steel, we are doing much better under Governor Newsom’s guidance. And since you are a local friend of President Trump, you and other local government officials who have been trying to wrestle control of the pandemic from Sacramento should appreciate that twice during the presidential debate, President Trump mentioned and seemed proud of the fact that he and the Governor got along very well.
No, thank you Ms. Steel, but I think our fate is much better protected by Sacramento, than by local politicians.
Lynn Lorenz / Newport Beach
